


Growing Up Groot

by Groot (grootiez)



Series: Growing Up Groot [1]
Category: Bob Ross - Fandom, Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-09 06:37:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13475796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grootiez/pseuds/Groot
Summary: After The Battle of Xandar, Rocket mourns the loss of the only person in the galaxy that has ever cared about him. In a tribute, Rocket plants some twigs that came from his friend’s body to keep as a memory of their friendship. Little does Rocket know, that he will gain a new friend.





	1. Vengeance

“I called him an idiot.” The raccoon mourned as he kneeled beside the corpse of a Flora Colossus and clutched some of the tree-like being’s remains in his paws.

The scene was hectic. The four of them- Peter “Starlord” Quill, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, and himself, Rocket Raccoon, survived what should’ve been a spaceship crash that would have been fatal. 

That is, if _he_ didn’t intervene. If _he_  didn’t cast aside all selfish ambitions to see what the possible outcome would be should _he_ notact and did what _he_  did.

If _he **survived**_ **.**

AsRocket cradled the cuttings of his friend, he noticed an ominous shadow begin to tower over his diminutive frame. He knew what this person _did._

“YOU KILLED GROOT!” The raccoon yelled as he did a running charge towards the Kree with the intent of obliterating the very ground they now stand on.

The thin, blue alien, Ronan the Accuser, showed no regret about being the reason why Groot, who was the only person who genuinely loved Rocket, and every other person he met (except for the scientists and guards who subjected him and Rocket to inhumane torture and being experimented on constantly during their time on Halfworld.) sacrificed his life so that the very people he and Rocket met and grown to (or in Rocket’s case, somewhat) love could save Xandar.

Ronan returned the favor by sending out a sonic boom when he turned his hammer sideways, hitting the rodent and sending him back quite a ways.

Ronan then turned to Xandar’s citizens, who were drawn out of their homes and businesses to see what was going on.

“Behold. Your _‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’_ What fruit have they wrought?” Ronan taunted as he lifted his hammer. “Only that my father and his father shall finally know vengeance. People of Xandar, the time has come to rejoice and renounce your paltry gods! Your salvation is at hand.” He then chanted some old Kree warcry.

Luckily, Rocket had awoken from his stupor and noticed that he landed right next to his Hadron-Enforcer, which was damaged in the crash, but with Rocket’s know-how in crafting and fixing weapons, he could have it back up in no time. He caught Starlord’s eye and gave him the signal.

Just then, Ronan was distracted by Peter’s so-called “Dance-Off.” Which gave Rocket all the time that he needed.

“Wh-What are you doing?” Ronan asked, confused.

“Distracting you.” Peter smirked as Ronan turned around to see Rocket join the 2 wires that connected the Hadron Enforcer to its power supply. Drax stood beside the raccoon, holding the weapon and points it towards Ronan’s hammer.

Almost as if the next few minutes were in slow motion, Ronan’s hammer shatters into pieces and the Orb, which was in reality an Infinity Stone, was floating in midair. Peter and Ronan each reached out for it, but the human gained the upper edge and grabbed it first. His skin was glowing with the unending energy and was glowing a very vivid violet hue.

“Peter, take my hand!” Gamora called out to him as she outstretched her hand for him to hold on to.

He did and amazingly the energy was shared between the two of them. Drax joined in by grabbing ahold of Peter’s shoulder. Rocket saw that the energy was being shared between the three of them and decided that one more would evenly distribute the force so that no matter if they died, or by some minuscule chance, lived, Xandar would stand. He grabbed Drax’s finger and as he held on, he could feel the energy of the orb course through his body, resulting in the most agonizing pain of his life. This pain that he endured on Halfworld paled in comparison to this, this pain was something _more._

“You’re mortal!” Ronan was clearly dumbfounded. ”How?”

Peter stared down Ronan. ”You said it yourself, bitch. We’re The Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Starlord then opened his hand and the stone’s power took ahold of Ronan as the Kree got absorbed into it. Gamora then got out her device that could contain the stone and quickly closed it. The energy enveloping the Guardians dissipated and was gone within seconds.

They all caught their breath as a small army approached them and an all-to-familiar voice pierced the air.

“Well, well, well!” The Guardians turned around. Yondu and his merry band of Ravagers circled them. “Quite the light show.” Yondu laughed. “Ain't this sweet. But you got some business to attend to before all the nookie-nookie starts.”

“Peter, you can't.” Gamora begged. “Peter.”

“You have to reconsider this, Yondu.” Peter told his adoptive father. “You saw what it's capable of. You need to give it to the Nova Corps.”

“I may be as pretty as an angel, but I sure as hell ain't one.” Yondu warned. “Hand it over.” Gamora and Peter looked at each other, then Peter reluctantly handed the Orb to Yondu. The Ravager captain turned to leave.

“Yondu!” Peter called after him. “Do not open that orb! You know that, right?” Yondu chuckled and walked off, as Peter and Gamora watched the Ravager ships take off. “He's gonna be so pissed when he realizes I switched out the Orb on him." Peter held the Orb that actually contained the Stone and Gamora chuckled.

”He’s going to kill you Peter.” Gamora flirted with him as they walked through the rubble.

* * *

 Meanwhile, Rocket walked back over to Groot’s remains. He sat down as he grabbed one of the twigs that splintered off the giant tree’s body as the ship crashed down and Groot was no more. He couldn’t help but cry as he held the branch close to his furry body. As he cried, Drax sat beside the raccoon and _petted_ him. Rocket looked up, startled by Drax’s outpouring of support and sorrow, as he has been through the same thing before.

Drax got up 5 minutes later to give Rocket some time to mourn in private. After Drax left, Rocket walked to where the greatest cluster of Groot’s branches, twigs, and other body parts were gathered.

“I’m sorry, my friend.” Rocket said through heavy sobs as he held what he believed to be Groot’s face. “I’m sorry for all the mean things I’ve said to you ever since we’ve met.” Rocket wiped away a tear. “I’m sorry that I ever doubted you and your wisdom. You were always the calmer and smarter one out of the two of us.” Rocket choked back more tears as he picked up a lone stick and held it in his paws. “I’ll never forget you.” He added before he got up and left.

As Rocket left Groot’s body, the coroner’s office came by to pick up Groot’s remains and take him to the morgue to prepare him for embalming before the funeral home would take his body to prepare it for the viewing and funeral.

The raccoon then tucked the twig gently in the front pocket of his jumpsuit, right next to the tiny Bob Ross doll Groot entrusted to Rocket before they split up to save Xandar, taking great care to not snap it in two. Even though Groot was gone, at least Rocket would have a little remnant of his friend, no matter where he was.


	2. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rocket plans for Groot’s funeral.

“Now what type of smoke should we release into the air during the ceremony?” The funeral director asked as Rocket stared down at his feet, who was holding Groot’s Bob Ross doll in his paws, his legs still, even though they didn’t touch the floor of the office.

“Groot never smoked a day in his life.” Rocket was confused by the question as he shifted in his chair. “What is the smoke for?”

“For the cremation, of course.” The director explained. “As we burn the corpse-.” Rocket looked up at the man, his fur standing on end. He was infuriated by the statement.

“You are _not_ burning Groot.” He snarled.

“But, sir. There is not a lot left of the body to warrant an open-casket funeral without it being gory and the guests fleeing from the service in horror. It would be better to have a cremation ceremony instead for the body.” The director tried to make the raccoon realize.

“Groot.” Rocket was now staring the skinny A'askavariian down. “His name is _Groot.”_

“Was.” The director didn’t care about the deceased Flora Colossus whose pictures throughout his and Rocket’s life now littered his desk.

“Look, man!” Rocket now stood up on the chair, leaning his face in the funeral director’s face. “If you’re not going to treat Groot like he was a living, breathing person in life, then I’ll make arrangements to have his funeral elsewhere!”

“Alright, so you would prefer a burial over a cremation then?” The director asked.

Rocket sighed as he sat back down. He then took out the twig that he saved from the crash sight and held it in his hand as he held the Bob Ross doll in the other one. “Groot always hated seeing fire.” He hung his head as he looked at the twig. “It reminded him of his time on Halfworld and of the ’ _tests’_ that those _’scientists’_ performed on him before we busted out.” Rocket held the twig to his chest tightly. “I don’t think he would like that to be the way he leaves this world.”

“Okay. Then let’s talk about the service and burial then.” The director said as he and Rocket planned the funeral.


	3. Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rocket meets up with the other Guardians. Starlord does something for Rocket.

“About damn time, Rocket.” Starlord greeted Rocket as he walked into the Nova Corps’ medical office. “Where were you?”

Rocket said nothing as he sat in an empty chair ten feet away from the other Guardians. He then placed Groot’s twig, which was in its own little pot surrounded by fertizer that he picked up at a local planting store, on the table beside him.

“Peter, you’ve got to take an easy on him.” Gamora leaned in towards Peter as Drax came back out from his examination. “Rocket just suffered the loss of the only person that truly cared about him. He’s going through a lot right now.” She added as Rocket walked to the back for his examination.

“Yeah, but he could’ve been a little bit less of an asshole towards us.” Starlord whispered to Gamora and Drax as he watched Rocket close the door behind him.

Over the next five minutes, Peter stared at the chair Rocket was previously sitting in. His gaze then shifted towards the potted plant which was the only piece that remained of Groot. The humie then got an idea.

“Peter, where are you going?” Gamora asked him as he got up from his seat.

“Just to the bathroom.” He answered as he walked over to the potted plant and picked it up.

Gamora then relaxed and continued to read from her magazine. Starlord then looked over his shoulder to see that neither Gamora nor Drax was paying him any attention. He then walked over to the front desk to talk to the receptionist before he headed to one of the back rooms.

Drax put down the video game that he was playing and asked Gamora. “Where did Quill go?” Gamora shrugged her shoulders.

A half hour later, Peter emerged with the potted plant. Rocket followed suit 5 minutes later. None of the Guardians knew why Peter took the potted plant to the back room as he handed it back to Rocket before they headed out for their meeting with Nova Prime.


	4. Remembrance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Groot’s funeral takes place. Rocket says a few words and reflects on his time with Groot.

It was then time. The Guardians parked the recently rebuilt _Milano_ just outside the funeral home.

They were dressed in their Sunday best. Peter was dressed in a nice suit and tie with dress shoes and cuff links. Drax had a suit too, minus the jacket and tie, while Gamora wore an all-black formal dress that extended to the floor with matching black heels. 

Rocket was the last one to leave the ship. He was wearing a miniature version of Peter’s suit and instead of a green tie, (Green was Groot’s favorite color.) he was wearing one with little rocket ships in remembrance of the time that he and Groot escaped Halfworld and how the raccoon got his name.

They were the first to enter the funeral parlor. Rocket took his spot right beside Groot’s casket to greet every mourner that entered the door and paid their respects to Groot, who laid in the closed coffin. As each person passed, Rocket became overwhelmed with emotion at the realization that Groot was no longer here, and Rocket, being a freak of nature himself, was once again alone in the galaxy. After Peter came up to check on him, Rocket asked him if he could take a break and wash the redness off of his face from all of the crying that he’s been doing. Starlord obliges and Rocket goes to the bathroom until the funeral starts.

Just before the ceremony started, Rocket enters the main chapel and rejoins the other Guardians. As the funeral director begins the service, Rocket looks down at the floor. Deep down, he wishes that he didn’t have to be here.

“Now, we’ll hear a few words from Groot’s closest friend, Rocket.” The director said as Rocket got up from his seat and made his way to the podium.

As Rocket got up on the stepping stool so that he could see over the podium, he was overcome with emotion yet again. But this time he was able to compose himself as he looked at everyone that was here.

Rocket adjusted the microphone that was on the podium so that he could speak into it. “I, uh, met Groot under the most brutal of circumstances. We were, uh, prisoners on Halfworld, taken from our homes to only be tortured and experimented on by these so-called _‘Scientists.’_ I was taken from my mom and littermates when I was real young and fitted with an assortment of cybernetics to be trained to become a killer.” The raccoon’s tiny frame quivered in rage.

Rocket regained his composure. “But, Groot...” He sighed as he hung his head low. “Groot... didn’t deserve to be there.” The raccoon took a deep breath. “He had just lost his home, being the last of his kind on his planet when _they_ came.” Rocket gritted his teeth. “Those so-called _‘Scientists’_ from Halfworld. He didn’t know it at the time but...” Rocket tried to quell the rage in his heart as he pointed towards an imaginary figure. “They killed his kind, as well as anything and everything that he ever knew in an attempt to capture him and do unspeakable things to him.”

The rodent then wiped a tear from his eye as he continued to speak. “By the time that he was en route to Halfworld the scientists and botanists began to torture him and perform their experiments on him. Groot thought that they were going to help him find a new place. That new place was a 2 by 4 foot cell in the laboratory. Oh, they would let him out everyday, but he was often tied down to a restraining chair to be taken to the exam room where he was subjected to any amount of experimentation by means of medicating him, performing various procedures on him, or in the best case scenario, behavior modification by forcing him to wear a shock collar around his neck and zapping him whenever he did something that those _‘Scientists’_ considered _‘Undignified.’_ I would hear his crying and screaming everyday from morning to late at night.”

Rocket took a drink of water. He then looked at the glass. “The night I met him, it was an especially rough day on him as he was unlucky enough to have all three means of torture done on him in one day. He was dragged back to his cell, thrown inside and the door locked. He was too weak and scared to even pick his head up. All he could do was meekly cry. I picked the lock to my cell to shut him up and get some sleep around here for once. But as I looked at him, we locked eyes. That look of fear and desperation hit me like nothing has hit me before.” He placed the glass back down. “He needed someone to _talk_ to. To _listen_ to him. So, I asked him what was wrong. He said ‘I am Groot.’ And I mustered every nerve in my body to say, in the nicest manner for me at the time ‘Nice to meet you, Groot.’ And guess what his response was.”

“I am Groot.” The audience chimed in unison.

“Exactly.” Rocket tried to hide a smile being forced upon him by the memory. “That’s  _exactly_ what he said to me. I thought to myself ‘You just said that you flarkin’ piece of driftwood.’ But I instead asked him what was wrong and again he responded by saying ‘I am Groot.’ After about five minutes of getting nowhere in our conversation, I took a look at him. The Terran-like _‘intelligence’_ those _‘Scientists’_ _’gifted’_ me with told me that Groot was extremely starved and parched. He looked like he hasn’t eaten or drank anything ever since he got here, which by my best guess was almost a week thanks to my enhanced hearing I overheard the other day about them capturing a rare Flora Colossus after destroying his homeworld and every other living being of his kind. So I went back to my cell to unscrew the water bottle that was tied to one of the corners. I came back to Groot’s cell and held the water bottle up as I asked him if he was thirsty. He gave me a weak nod as he tried to lay down in that cramped cell of his. I then went over to the corner where he was trying to lay his head down, sat there and propped his head up on my lap as I held the bottle for him to drink from. As he drank, I could see the color in his bark return to him. He was still weak from not having any food, but at least he was more alert. I apologized for not having any food on me, as after every meal the guards would check our cells for any rations of our food that we were storing for later and if they found any leftovers we were punished harshly. After Groot drank the last drop of water from the bottle, I retreated back to my cell, knowing that the evening guards would be making their rounds soon and if I was found out of my cell, I would be punished severely as it would be my 56,897th infraction. As I closed my cell door, I could hear Groot finally settle down. He still couldn’t sleep, but he was a little bit more comfortable.”

Rocket took another swig of water. “The next day, the botanists assigned to him came by, opened his cell, and woke him up violently before putting a muzzle on his face to prevent him from biting and spitting on the guards and then they injected him with a tranquilizer and lifting him into his restraint chair, tying him down, and taking him away to whatever fresh hell awaited him that day. He looked over at me with unadulterated fear in his eyes as he was being carted away.” Rocket took a deep breath. “After they took Groot away, a food worker came by with my breakfast, along with a fresh water bottle for my cell. After he left, I thought about Groot and how skinny, frail, and close to death he was from having no food this past week. I made a decision: I was going to ration my food so that as soon as Groot came back, he would have a meal waiting for him. I knew I was going to get in trouble for it, so I thought about stashing my food where I knew no one would look. I looked around the room and saw the heating vents in the ceiling. It would keep the food warm up until Groot came back and the guards locked him in his cell for the night before they would leave. That’s when I knew that it would be safe for me to retrieve his meal and help him eat it. After I ate my half, I wrapped up his half in the tin foil it came in to keep it extra hot. I did this morning, noon, and night until Groot was brought back.”

Rocket looked at the closed casket. “That night, Groot wasn’t back by his normal time. I worried for over an hour until I saw the door to our cell block open and the same people who took Groot to the torture chamber earlier wheel a visibly weaker Groot back into the room and manually lift him back into his cell before taking off his muzzle and closing his cell door. But they didn’t leave as usual. I overheard one say ‘He’s not long for this world. Even Asner said that the hunk of bark is showing no signs of improvement.’ And the other person said ’Well, Jack’ll be down here tomorrow morning to check its vitals if it hasn’t already passed away in its sleep and if there’s no change, we’re going to be forced to euthanize it. Pure shame, too. Last of his kind, no imperfections, just a beautiful specimen that we could’ve made good use of.’ Well, what use would Groot be if your torturous methods on him is killing him?”

Rocket looked everyone in the eye. “After those botanists left for the night, I got out of my cell, unhooked my water bottle from the holder in my cell, and got out Groot’s food from the vent. As I propped Groot’s head up and showed him the food, he had no interest in eating it. I told him it was for his own good, but it seemed like that he had given up the fight. I tried to do everything I could think of until a thought popped into my head: What if Groot had _forgotten_  how to eat? So I did what every other animal in this flarkin’ galaxy would do and chewed up his food so that all he had to do was swallow it. It took all night, but Groot finally ate his first meal in a long time. Before I left him for my cell, he looked at me as if to say ‘Thank you.’ As I went to sleep, I was hoping that Groot would make it through the night.”

Rocket then smiled. “Groot did make it through the night. I was awoken by the botanists performing their vital tests on Groot and Groot being scared to death by what they were doing to him and screaming. As I looked on, I saw the needles that they were to give him should he need to be killed. I saw one of the nurses grab for one and that’s when I struck. I bolted out of my cage and attacked them. I, of course, got overpowered by them and was taken away to face punishment, but it was worth it. As long as Groot was alive, it was worth it. As I faced the discipline that was surely to come my way, I made a decision: When Groot was strong enough, we would escape that hellhole of a planet and forge our own destiny.”

Rocket continued. “Months passed. I was able to nurse Groot back to health to where he could walk if he leaned on me for support. The night of our escape came. After another day of torture, I reminded Groot that tonight would be the night we would be free of this hell. I pulled back the painting that concealed the tunnel to the hangar where they stored all of their spaceships and we hijacked the fastest one. Sure, we were met with resistance, but with my innate piloting skills and Groot cheering me on in the copilot seat, we left Halfworld for the closest friendly planet. When we landed, we went to the nearest medical center to get the care we needed. I only had to stay a couple of days for observation, but Groot was in worst condition and had to stay much longer. I stayed with him as long as I could everyday and reminded him that he was finally free. He smiled and said that we should be partners in crime, I laughed at first, but then finally agreed. When he was able to be discharged, we started our friendship.”

“Even though Groot is no longer with us, he is still in here.” Rocket tapped his chest where his heart was. He then felt something. “What the-?” He reached into the chest pocket in his jacket and pulled out the object he felt, it was a miniature doll. He then looked at it. “Bob Ross? What are you doing here?” 

Everyone looked at Rocket, confused. “For those of you that have never met Groot, he had an unhealthy obsession with Bob Ross. As he was recovering on Contraxia, the first TV program that he saw was old reruns of _‘The Joy of Painting.’_ Ofcourse, I could care less about some creepy humie whose main purpose in life was to talk calmly as he painted ‘Happy Little Trees’ all day. What? I was out at the bar so I could avoid watching one more episode of Bob Ross until the marathon was over. After he was discharged from the center, Groot made it his personal life mission to meet Bob Ross in person and get his autograph as he talked to him nonstop. I hated to have to break the news to Groot that Bob Ross was dead. I told him that even though Bob Ross wasn’t alive anymore, he was still alive in his heart.”

Rocket then turned his back towards everyone else as he raised one arm to the sky and shouted “Bob Ross, if you’re not up there with Groot right now and bonding with one another over painting or whatever, then so help me god, I will-.” Rocket stopped as everyone looked at him in horror as he held the Bob Ross doll as if he was going to make a sacrifice. “Uh, yeah. That’s all I’ve got to say. Reverend?” Rocket then stepped down from the podium and rejoined the other Guardians as they looked at him with embarrassment as everyone stood up to go to Groot’s burial and monument dedication.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, Rocket :’(


	5. The Giving Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rocket stops by Groot’s gravesite and memorial. Peter gives Rocket a gift.

After Groot was buried, and the reception after his funeral was over with, Rocket was on his way back to the _Milano_ when he decided to stop by Groot’s gravesite. As he turned his motorcycle, (which he soo _didn’t_ buy with the money that Peter entrusted to him to deposit in the Nova Corps’ bank account that they have set up for the Guardians.) to the cemetery where Groot was buried underneath, the memories of their time together hit Rocket like a truck.

Of all of their hardships, and Groot’s near-death experience when they first met, Rocket wasn’t ready to go through the rest of his life without Groot. It just wasn’t fair. 

After five minutes of navigating the series of winding paths in the cemetery, Rocket finally found the one where Groot’s gravestone was on. As he walked the dirt path, he remembered his friend’s last moments alive. When Rocket found Groot’s grave, he struggled to view it through thick tears. The ground was still freshly patted down after Groot’s casket was lowered into the ground, six feet under.

The weather even matched the mood and emotions Rocket was feeling. It was damp, cold, rainy, and windy. There was even a hint of a thunderstorm coming in from the distance.

As the raccoon knelt next to his friend’s grave, he wiped away some of the mud that covered the bottom of his tombstone. He then placed his hands on his knees and looked over at Groot.

Rocket then tried to hold back the tears. “I wish that you were here, buddy. We did it, we saved the world. We’re heroes now.” A rumble of thunder could be heard. “But I wish that it didn’t cost you your life. But, if you didn’t do what you did, none of us would be alive and Xandar would have been destroyed. I just wish there was a way where you didn’t have to sacrifice yourself and you could be here to celebrate with the rest of us.”

Rocket then wiped off a fresh layer of mud that was starting to cover the bottom of Groot’s gravestone.

“We are Groot.” Rocket read the inscription. He knew what Groot meant by these words. “That we are, Groot. That we are.” He patted the stone with his paw. “We’re more than just friends now, buddy. We’re family. Gamora, Drax, Star-Munch, me. But especially you, Groot. Without you, we wouldn’t be where we are today. I’ll never forget you, my friend.”

With a final pat on Groot’s gravestone, Rocket got up from the ground, patted himself clean from the mud, and began to make his way back towards his motorcycle. In the distance, he could faintly make out the outline of someone walking towards him.

“Hey, Rocket!” The figure shouted from down the path, waving their hand.

As Rocket walked closer to the person, he finally saw who it was.

“Hey, Quill.” Rocket said, his head hung low.

“Still getting over missing him?” Starlord consoled him as he offered Rocket room under his umbrella. They then continued to walk. “I miss him too. But he’s in a better place now, and I bet that he’s looking down on you right now, sitting next to Bob Ross and smiling.”

Rocket nodded. “Yeah, but there will always be a hole in my heart, a void that can never be filled.” Rocket then brought his head back down. They then stopped at a newly erected monument.

“Hm, they built that fast.” Peter said in amazement.

Just then, Rocket picked his head up to see what Peter was talking about. In front of him was a 20 foot statue of Groot in all his glory. The monument of Groot was surrounded by an even larger fountain surrounded by an assortment of flower bushes. There were also stone benches where people could take a rest and reflect on the sacrifice the tree made for them. In the middle of the statue, on a stone slab at the base was an inscription: “Happy Little Trees.”

“He always loved watching Bob Ross.” Rocket lamented as he looked at Peter. “He would never miss an episode. Whenever there was a marathon going on, he would sit in front of the TV and watch it nonstop, never getting up for anything. I should know, because after the marathons, I would have to explain to the cleaning ladies of the apartments we stayed in why the living room smelled like pee afterwards.” Rocket chuckled. “It was a pain in the ass to find somewhere to live after we’ve got thrown out of our 20th apartment after yet another marathon.”

“See, Rocket? You can’t just dwell on Groot’s death and what life’s going to be like without him. You’ve gotta remember the good times you’ve had together and what Groot gave to-.”

“Which reminds me,” Peter then dug into his knapsack and took out a brightly colored wrapped package and gave it to Rocket. “Open it.”

The rodent carefully unwrapped the present. He then crumpled up the paper and tucked it inside his pocket. He held up the present: it was a children’s book.

 _“The Giving Tree?”_ Rocket read the name of the book that he held in his hands. He was confused as to why Quill would give him a book meant for five-year-olds. “Quill, not to be rude or anything, but, I’m not much of a reader. I-.” 

“Just read it. You’ll like it.” Peter urged.

Rocket then opened to the first page of the book.

“There once was a tree...” Rocket read the first sentence out loud. As he flipped to the next page, and the page after that, the raccoon trembled at how similar the boy and the tree were to him and Groot. The boy wanted all these things that the tree couldn’t provide, so she gave him whatever she had and the boy made it work. All the tree wanted was the love of the boy and she did whatever it took to make him happy so the boy would give the tree his love.

”...And the tree was happy.” Peter whispered as he gently picked up Rocket, who by this point was a bawling puddle of fur on the ground and carried him to the motorcycle, which the humie had no idea of how Rocket came into possession of as they drove off to the hangar where the _Milano_ was docked.


	6. Rebirth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Guardians get ready to set off to their next mission. Rocket sees something with the twig that he saved from the Battle of Xandar.

“I don’t care what you were thinking, you stupid raccoon! It’s going back to the dealer first thing after this meeting.” Peter fumed at Rocket, who, after being coerced, confessed to using the deposit money from the Nova Corps that he was supposed to be deposited into a joint bank account for the Guardians and using it to buy the motorcycle.

“Geez, sorry, Star-Mun- I mean, Lord, _Starlord.”_ Rocket apologized in the most sarcastic manner, showing little to no respect for Peter.

“And we’re also gonna talk about how you should treat others!” The humie called out to Rocket, who was going to his bedroom for a second.

The angry rodent then huffed as he slammed his door shut. He then walked over to the desk where he had an assortment of weapon parts and a few semi-assembled guns. As he picked one up and looked at it, he mumbled to himself.

“Assholes. If it wasn’t for that sweet paycheck that we got for saving this sad excuse of a planet with the promise of more money for all of the missions afterwards, I would’ve killed the whole lot of ‘em and gone and have done my own thing.” Rocket said as he pointed the gun at the other end of the table and cocked it, resting his finger on the trigger as he looked down the barrel. “Damn it.”

He then put the gun down and sighed. He picked up the object he was aiming towards.

“I- I- I’m sorry that you had to hear that. It’s just... just-.” Rocket struggled to say as he hugged the pot that contained the lone twig of Groot that he recovered from the wreckage. “What the hell am I doing? I’m the only one here.” He sighed as he picked up the plant and went to the common room for the meeting.

* * *

 After the meeting, (and after Rocket reluctantly agreeing to give the motorcycle back to the dealership.) the Guardians got ready to go out on their next mission.

As Rocket looked around the cockpit, he heard the tiniest little yawn coming from somewhere nearby. He glanced down at the pot to see that the twig was _moving._ The raccoon then looked lovingly at the twig and thought “He’s back. I got my best friend back.”

After they took off and it was safe to get up and move again, Rocket then picked up Groot’s pot and excused himself to his room. He was in shock that Groot, somehow, _came back._

 “Rocket?” Peter knocked on his door. He then opened the door slightly ajar. “Everything okay?”

Rocket then got up from his bed, Groot’s pot on the bedside table right beside him, approached Peter and hugged the human as he dug his face into his pant leg, trying to muffle his crying.

“Thank you.” Rocket said to Peter, grateful that Groot was back again.

* * *

 Later that night, the Guardians were all in bed. That is, all but one of them.

Rocket was stirred awake by something coming from one of the rooms. As he opened the door to his room, the noise got louder. He followed the source of the sound and noticed that it wasn’t coming from the ship. It wasn’t a mechanical sound at all. Someone was crying. 

He entered the common room, and sure enough he found Groot, who was awake in his pot that was sitting on a heating pad to keep him warm at night. This being Groot’s first night, he was scared of every little sound.

“Hey, shh, shh.” Rocket soothed the twig as he came right beside him. “It’s okay, buddy.” He said to calm Groot’s sobs.

“You scared of being alone?” The raccoon asked as Groot nodded. “Wanna come sleep in my room for the night?”

Groot gave his surrogate father another nod as Rocket picked up his pot and heating pad. As he carried his newly adopted son to his room, Rocket hummed some lullabies to calm Groot down.

After Rocket got back to his room with Groot, he placed Groot’s heating pad on his bedside table and plugged it into the wall. Groot still was a little scared, so the rodent picked Groot up again and carried him to the bookshelf where he got out _“The Giving Tree”_ and sat down with Groot in his lap as he began to read the book to the sapling.

As Rocket read to Groot, and as Groot cooed at Rocket, what the raccoon didn’t notice was his door subtly open and Gamora looking on at the scene: Raccoon father sharing a sweet moment with his tree son. She then beckoned Peter over and he too looked on.

”And the raccoon was happy.” Peter whispered to Gamora as he gently closed the door to let Rocket bond with Groot.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Rocket be a good father?


End file.
